🌍 Availability — Read before continuing Perpetuals trading is not available to users in the United States or the United Kingdom. Hyperliquid is additionally restricted in: AU, AT, BE, BG, CA, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, HR, HK, IS, IE, IT, LV, LI, LT, LU, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE. Availability may vary by location. |
ℹ️ Before you start Make sure you are using the latest version of Trust Wallet. Download or update at: trustwallet.com/download |
Topics Covered
1. What Are Perps?
2. Perps vs Spot Trading
3. Perps Providers in Trust Wallet
4. How to Start Trading Perps
5. Understanding Key Terms
6. Risk Reminder
7. FAQs
8. Disclaimer
1. What Are Perps?
Perpetual futures — commonly called "Perps" — are a type of cryptocurrency derivative that lets traders speculate on the price of an asset without ever owning the underlying token. Unlike traditional futures contracts, Perps have no expiry date — a position can be held open indefinitely as long as it stays above the liquidation threshold.
Perps were first introduced to crypto markets by BitMEX in 2016 and have since become the dominant form of crypto derivative trading. Today, perpetual futures account for the majority of daily trading volume across both centralized exchanges and decentralized DEX (Decentralized Exchange) platforms like Hyperliquid and Aster DEX, (a Decentralized Exchange — a peer-to-peer marketplace for trading tokens without an intermediary
How Perps work:
A trader deposits collateral (margin) into the Perps interface inside Trust Wallet.
They open a long position (betting price rises) or a short position (betting price falls).
They select a leverage multiplier (e.g. 10×, 50×, 100×), which determines how large the position is relative to their margin.
Profit and loss are calculated in real time as the market price moves.
At regular intervals (typically every 8 hours), a funding rate is exchanged between longs and shorts to keep the contract price aligned with the underlying spot price.
The trader can close the position at any time to realize profits or cut losses.
If losses exceed the margin, the position is liquidated automatically.
2. Perps vs Spot Trading
Feature | Perps | Spot Trading | Notes |
Ownership | No — synthetic exposure | Yes — you own the token |
|
Leverage | Up to 100× or more | Typically none |
|
Directions | Long or short | Long only |
|
Expiry | None | N/A |
|
Funding cost | Periodic funding rate | None | Paid between longs & shorts |
Liquidation risk | Yes | No |
|
3. Perps Providers in Trust Wallet
Trust Wallet supports Perps trading through two integrated decentralized protocols:
Hyperliquid
Hyperliquid is a high-performance L1 (Layer 1 — a base blockchain network) DEX purpose-built for derivatives. Trust Wallet integrates Hyperliquid to support perpetual futures on 100+ markets including BTC (Bitcoin), ETH (Ether), and real-world assets (RWAs). Positions sit natively in your Trust Wallet — no separate account or KYC (Know Your Customer — identity verification required by regulated financial services) required.
Availability: Most regions. Not available in US, UK, HK, AU, and most of the EU. See full list in the Availability callout above.
Networks: Hyperliquid L1
Fees: Standard Hyperliquid taker/maker fees apply. Trust Wallet charges no additional platform fee.
Aster DEX
Aster DEX is a Decentralized Exchange — a peer-to-peer marketplace for trading without an intermediary — offering perpetual futures via an off-chain relay (a system that processes orders outside the blockchain for speed, while settling on-chain for security) Positions are fully self-custodied inside Trust Wallet.
Availability: Most regions except the United States and United Kingdom.
Networks: BSC (Binance Smart Chain), Ethereum, Arbitrum
Fees: Standard Aster DEX protocol fees apply. Trust Wallet charges no additional platform fee.
Leverage: Up to 100×, depending on the market.
For more background on perpetual trading, see: What is perp trading and leverage?
4. How to Start Trading Perps
Step 1 — Open the Perps Screen
Open Trust Wallet.
Tap Swap in the bottom navigation menu.
Select the Perps tab.
If this is your first time, tap Enable Trading and complete the one-time setup.
Deposit screen — select network (BSC, Ethereum, or Arbitrum), asset, and amount before confirming your margin deposit.Left to right: Home screen → tap Swap → select Perps tab → tap Enable Trading → tap Deposit to add margin before your first trade.
Step 2 — Deposit Margin
Before opening a trade, you need to deposit funds as collateral — this is your margin. The margin is the amount at risk.
Tap Deposit on the Perps screen.
Choose your network: BSC, Ethereum, or Arbitrum (for Aster DEX), or Hyperliquid L1 (for Hyperliquid).
Select the asset (e.g. USDT — Tether) and the amount you want to deposit.
Tap Confirm. Your deposit usually appears within a few minutes.
Step 3 — Open a Trade
Choose a trading pair — for example, BTC/USDT (Bitcoin priced in Tether USD).
Select your order type: Market (instant execution) or Limit (executes at your target price).
Enter the trade amount.
Tap Details to set your leverage (up to 100×) and margin mode.
Choose margin mode:
Isolated: only this trade's margin is at risk — recommended for beginners.
Cross: your full balance is shared across all open trades — more flexible, higher risk.
(Optional) Enable TP/SL (Take Profit / Stop Loss) to automatically close at your target.
Tap Buy / Long or Sell / Short to place the trade.
Place Order screen — choose trading pair, order type (Market or Limit), leverage, margin mode, and optional TP/SL before confirming
Left: Place Order screen with leverage (50×), margin mode (Cross), and TP/SL options. Right: Adjust Leverage slider — drag to set up to 100×.
Step 4 — Manage Your Trade
View and manage open positions from the Positions tab on the Perps screen:
Monitor real-time profit and loss (PnL).
Adjust leverage on open positions.
Cancel pending orders from the Open orders tab.
Step 5 — Close or Exit Your Trade
Three ways to close a Perps position:
Manually: place the opposite order — sell to close a long, or buy to close a short.
Automatically: your Take Profit (TP) or Stop Loss (SL) triggers the close at your target.
Liquidation: if losses reach your full margin, the position closes automatically. You lose only the deposited margin — not your entire wallet balance.
Step 6 — Withdraw Your Funds
Tap the account icon in the top-left corner of the Perps screen.
Select Withdraw.
Choose the network, asset, and amount to withdraw.
Tap Confirm.
5. Understanding Key Terms
Margin
The collateral you deposit to open a Perps position. Losses are deducted from your margin. If your margin runs out, the position is liquidated.
Leverage
Lets you control a larger position with less capital. Example: 10× leverage means a 1% price move results in a 10% gain or loss on your margin.
Funding Rate
A periodic payment exchanged between longs and shorts (typically every 8 hours) that keeps the Perps contract price aligned with the underlying spot price. When Perps trade above spot, longs pay shorts — and vice versa.
Liquidation
If your losses consume your entire margin, your position closes automatically. You lose only the deposited margin — not your entire wallet balance.
Take Profit / Stop Loss (TP/SL)
Automatically closes your trade when a chosen profit target or loss limit is reached — useful for managing risk without monitoring the market continuously.
Reduce-Only Orders
Orders that can only decrease or close an existing position — they cannot accidentally open a new one in the opposite direction.
Long / Short
Long: you profit if the price goes up.
Short: you profit if the price goes down.
6. Risk Reminder
⚠️ High Risk Activity Perpetual trading involves high risk and is best suited for experienced traders. Leverage can magnify both gains and losses. Liquidation can result in losing your entire deposited margin. Trade responsibly and only with funds you can afford to lose. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. |
7. FAQs
Do I need a Hyperliquid or Aster account to trade Perps?
No separate account is needed to trade Perps in Trust Wallet. Both Hyperliquid and Aster DEX integrations use your existing Trust Wallet — no logins, registrations, or KYC (Know Your Customer — identity verification required by regulated financial services) required
Are my funds safe when using Perps?
Your funds remain under your control when using Perps in Trust Wallet. Trust Wallet is non-custodial — you hold your private keys and always control your assets.
Which assets can I trade?
Trust Wallet Perps support long and short positions on 100+ crypto pairs including BTC (Bitcoin), ETH (Ether), and real-world assets. Available markets are shown in the Perps tab.
What is the minimum trade amount?
The minimum order size varies by market and provider. You can use leverage to open smaller positions within the minimum requirements.
Which provider should I use — Hyperliquid or Aster?
Both are available inside Trust Wallet. Hyperliquid offers deeper liquidity and supports more markets. Aster DEX supports BSC, Ethereum, and Arbitrum. The app will show you which provider is available in your region.
Where are Perps available?
Perps are available in most regions. Hyperliquid is restricted in more countries than Aster DEX — see the Availability callout at the top of this article for the full list.
8. Disclaimer
Perpetual trading is a high-risk activity. Trust Wallet provides access to decentralized protocols — Hyperliquid and Aster DEX — through a non-custodial interface. Availability varies by jurisdiction. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always do your own research (DYOR) before trading.